Zack Clarke

Zack Clarke is a Greek-American pianist and composer living and working in New York City.  Random Acts of Order, his debut album on Clean Feed Records, was released in 2017, followed by his 2018 release of the electro-acoustic album Mesophase.  His third album on the Clean Feed label, Vertical Shores, was released in 2019.  Previous recordings include the electronic album Music For Headphones, and Dialectic, a collaboration with cellist Chris Irvine that features free improvisation based on Bach’s third cello suites. Clarke’s emerging body of work reveals a command of diverse musical styles and a determined pursuit of new ideas through experimentation and improvisation.  His music draws from classical, jazz and electronic music; serving to explore the broader concepts involved in improvised and through-composed music. His newest record Plunge, released August 2nd on Orenda Records, is getting a lot of buzz for its marriage of Jazz and IDM influences and has already been featured on the BBC6 and Jazziz among others.

A Texas native and alum of Houston’s acclaimed High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Clarke’s abilities as a jazz improviser were recognized early on with multiple awards, including outstanding soloist awards from Downbeat Magazine and from the North Texas Jazz Festival.  He attended The New England Conservatory in Boston, majoring in Jazz Performance, and while there had the opportunity to study with jazz greats Danilo Perez, Fred Hersch, and Jason Moran. Upon completion of his Bachelor of Music degree he moved to New York to study with Kenny Werner and attend NYU, where he earned a Masters of Music and worked as adjunct faculty.

An active session artist and performer, Clarke has recorded or shared the stage with a number of prominent artists and has appeared before audiences in the US, Europe and South America.

In addition to performing and composing, Zack is a dedicated teacher who is grateful for the mentorship he has received, and finds rewards in sharing that knowledge with others through instruction in piano and music theory.

Awards

Outstanding soloist - Downbeat Magazine. June 2007

Encuesta 2017 — Periodistas Internacionales

2017 Top Ten List, Freejazzblog 

Best of 2017, Percosi Musicali 

Encuesta 2019 — Periodistas Internacionales 

Best of 2018, Acoustic Levitation  

Best of 2019  — Jazz Portugal   

14th Annual Jazz Critics Poll 

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